La Dolce Vita Wine Tours - Epicurean Tours

Tuscan Wine Treasures
Chianti, Brunello & Vino Nobile

Visit the ancient heartland of Tuscany and its three historic wine zones: Chianti Classico, Montalcino, and Montepulciano. Here wine has been grown since pre-Roman times. Today Tuscany leads the way in innovations in Italy's wine culture. Add glorious landscapes, Renaissance hill-towns, art treasures, and pecorino cheese, and you've got an epicurean delight.

Highlights:
• Wine estates: Castello Brolio, Rocca di Montegrossi, Casanova di Neri & more
• Pecorino cheese tasting
• Hands-on cooking lesson
• Gregorian chants at a medieval monastery
• Siena & its monuments

2011 dates: May 9-14 // June 27-July 2 // Sept 5-10 // Oct 17-22
Cost: $2,995; single room supplement: $350.

Meet & depart: Florence

Day 1 - Chianti Classico Up Close
After a pick-up in Florence, we shuttle to the Chianti Classico zone and see three charming wine towns: Greve, Panzano, and Radda in Chianti. We'll have our first winery tour and tasting at Poggio al Sole, delving into the sangiovese grape and the concept of terroir. Then we'll have an Introduction to Tuscan Wine at the Greve Enoteca. After a complementary welcome lunch, we move to the town of Panzano, considered a preeminent sub-zone of Chianti. Our second tasting is in this area at Castello di Rampolla, a biodynamic winery and renegade in its emphasis on cabernet. We then settle into our hotel, located in the woods outside the medieval town of Radda in Chianti. Dinner offers Tuscan fare like homemade pasta, wild boar stew, and fabulous torta della nonna (cream tort with pinenuts). L, D

Day 2 - In the Tuscan Kitchen
The history of Chianti is tied with the Ricasoli family, winemakers since the 12th C. Today we visit two of their estates, starting with the historic Castle of Brolio. We'll walk through the castle's magnificent gardens and hear about ÒIron BaronÓ Ricasoli, his invention of Chianti in the 1800s, and the legend of his ghost. After a tasting, then lunch at a local trattoria, we'll visit the Ricasoli cousin who owns the excellent Rocca di Montegrossi and makes elegant, supple Chiantis. In the late afternoon, we'll roll up our sleeves for a hands-on cooking lesson at a Tuscan farmhouse and make pasta from scratch. We'll dine on our brilliant labors and toast the day with a glass of vin santo, the golden dessert wine traditionally served with almond biscotti. B, D

Day 3 - The Gothic city of Siena
While transferring to southern Tuscany, we'll stop in Siena for the day. First stop is Nanini, a famous old coffee bar in Siena, where we'll sample their panforte, a dense cake with nuts, candied fruits, and spices. Next is a tour of the Palazzo Pubblico, which houses Italian Gothic masterpieces by Simone Martini and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. We'll also visit Siena's striped Duomo, home to artworks by Michelangelo and Pinturicchio. Then there will be free time for lunch, shopping, and an optional visit to the Enoteca Nazionale, Italy's national wine bar/museum, housed in a Medici fortress. Then we'll continue to our second hotel, located in Montalcino, a fortified city crowned by a medieval fortress. Before dinner, we'll have an informal tasting on the hotel terrace, listening to an Introduction to Brunello while admiring our spectacular view of the Val d'Orcia. B, D

Day 4 - Brunello di Montalcino
Today is dedicated to Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany's most prestigious wine. We'll visit two producers, comparing wine from the north and south sides of Montalcino. First we visit Donatella Cinelli Colombini, a top-notch northern estate that is owned a woman who hires an all-female staff for vineyard and cellar work. We then move south of Montalcino's mountain and get into a contemplate mood at the Abbey of Sant' Antimo, where we'll listen to plain-chants sung by monks at this still-active medieval abbey. Lunch follows at a local trattoria, then we'll taste Brunello from the south side, either at Ciacci Piccolomini di Aragona, both top-notch estates with highly rated wines. Dinner is on your own in Montalcino. B

Day 5 - Noble Wine of Montepulciano
The ability to make pecorino cheese was once considered so valuable a skill that women could list it on their dowry. We'll learn their secrets in a pecorino cheese shop in Pienza and sample pecorino aged in walnut leaves, olive paste, hay, or grape must. Pienza is even more famous for its Renaissance architecture, commissioned by Pope Pius II. After visiting the piazza and church, we'll move to another Renaissance town, Montepulciano, best known for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Beloved by nobles, this wine was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and Voltaire. Lunch will be in town. Then, our second tasting will be in the countryside at Icario, a new, rising star with a new, state-of-the-art wine cellar. Our farewell dinner will again feature Tuscany's cucina rustica, with dishes such as butter-and-sage pasta and and rabbit stewed with black olives. B, D

Day 6 - Arrivederci!
A shuttle to Florence and assistance with your travel plans. B

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